We'll See
by Nonnihil Scelestus
Summary: Alicia has reached the point where Eli Gold is no longer an annoyance, but a kindered spirit.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own The Good Wife

Spoilers: End Season 1 I guess, maybe right after press conference.

**We'll See**

**Chapter 1****  
**

They hadn't exactly hit it off after being introduced, not that you could blame her. Here was the man that was supposed to put her husband back on track with being a good person, at least image wise. She hadn't wanted anything to do with him. Of course, it had taken time to want to have anything to do with her husband too, so what was one more thing to get used to after her world had been spun on its axis.

At first it seemed like everything he did was destined to rub her the wrong way. His attitude toward her and the kids, his personality and mannerisms, and the way he did his best to suck up to Peter's mother. Everything. But she had to admit, him dropping by the office, or the house wasn't quite so bad, and he'd helped her out of a tight spot with the law firm, which meant she got to keep her job, a job that she really loved. So he was ok in her book, for the most part.

"_You're going to make my life difficult, aren't you?"_

It was odd that those words would ring in her head, days after they left the lips of a man she never thought she'd like. But they were. She didn't want to make his life difficult, not that anyone really asked her what she wanted. If they had, they might be surprised at the answer.

As if he was zooming in on her thoughts about him, much like a heat seeking missile, Eli Gold appeared in her office doorway. He was sharply dressed as usual, and but his casual approach this time, said it wasn't about Peter.

"Mr. Gold." She nodded toward her couch, feeling a little more gracious than usual. He looked a little surprised that she could be so welcoming. "What can I do for you?" His eyebrow inched toward his hair line. Apparently he didn't expect her to be accommodating either. She could be anything she wanted to be, it was part of what made her a great lawyer. She could be an excellent actress when she needed to be, hadn't the scandal over Peter's mistake's shown that? No, perhaps the scandal had only shown she had a top notch poker face.

"I was in the neighborhood, and thought I would stop by." It was a poor excuse, and they both knew it.

"What do you want, Eli?" Her voice took on a soft quality, as did her eyes, when she used his name for what had to be only the first or second time since they'd been introduced. She rose and closed her door. From the look on his face, usually he had an excellent poker face as well; this was going to be a personal conversation.

"Actually, Alicia, that's what I came to ask you. Its seems like, through all of this, everyone else has made the decisions for you. Peter, your children, Jacqui, me, Childs, Gardner. Everyone is pushing and pulling you in the various directions, and you just react as best you can. The only time since I've met you that I've seen you do something for yourself, was when you came to me, to bring in a client to the firm. And even that was only a reaction to the possibility of being let go, rather than because you really wanted to. So I'm going to ask you, just once, Alicia, and I want you to answer me truthfully. What do you want?" He was sincere, more sincere than he had ever been. He put aside all of his normal personality quirks, and attitudes, everything. He genuinely wanted to know the answer to this question, and he wanted her to know that he was serious.

"I want to move on from this." She answered almost immediately. It was like the man had ESP and knew exactly what she'd been thinking when he walked through her door.

"Move on from what? I don't understand."

"This! Everything!" She gestured wildly for a moment, something she never did. If you could describe Alicia Florrick in one word it would 'poised'. His lack of comprehension must have shown in his face, because she got up and started to pace before continuing her tirade. She had even kicked her shoes off, in order to pace more furiously and with greater force, and he suddenly realized how tiny she was in comparison to her husband. He had never seen her in anything other than complete control of herself and her wardrobe.

"I don't want to go back to being Peter's perfect wife. I don't want to go back to Peter. I wouldn't turn back the clock to when we were 'happy'." She quoted the word 'happy' with her fingers. "I already had an idea about the escorts, before everything hit the fan, but I didn't want it confirmed. And if you're worried about Will Gardner, I don't want that either. I want to be able to go to work and do a job I love without being judged on who my husband is, but on the quality of service I provide. I want to go home to happy kids that have no problems with life. I want to not have to worry how my reactions will affect Peter's political career. I want the chance to finally be me again, without the repercussions of a camera pointed in my direction. Can you offer that to me, Mr. Gold? Because I think I'm finally reaching my breaking point." He was stunned. He hadn't expected that. Maybe a turn back the clock or for Peter's indiscretions to have never happened, but what she wanted was different. She wanted a whole new life.

"Alicia, I can't make over your whole life, it's impossible, but I can offer you my friendship whenever you need it, no strings. And if you want me to try to extract you from some of the things you mentioned, then I will, gladly." He was being uncharacteristically generous, but he had to admit he really admired, liked Alicia Florrick. She was so much more than the image she projected. She suddenly seemed to come back to herself.

"Thank you, for listening." The stoic composure she routinely displayed slid into place.

"I meant it Alicia." He was earnest this time, his tone showing his honesty. She took a play from his own book and cocked her head to the side in silent study of him.

"I believe you did. We'll see, Mr. Gold. I've trusted you with enough for one day." She gave him that small quirking of lips that said she was almost sincere in her smile, but still reserving judgment on whether or not he was worthy. He wondered in that brief second what she looked like when she really, truly smiled, without any pain shadowing her eyes, and vowed that he would see it one day.

"Eli. I like it when you call me Eli." The smile was just a little more on genuine side this time, a small hint of warmth in her eyes that gave him hope.

"We'll see, Mr. Gold, we'll see."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I was originally going to make this a one shot but decided I was done when my muse whacked me over the head with a baseball bat. So here is chapter 2.

We'll See

Chapter 2

She waited patiently in the doorway until her brother was on the elevator and then went back inside the apartment. When the door was closed behind her, she let her smile drop from her face. It was so hard with him there to read every look and every twitch she made. He had said he could see in her eyes that she didn't love Peter anymore. She had denied the accusation, but it was true. She was so tired of playing the part, and it was harder when her brother was there to read all the signals that seemed to go unnoticed by everyone else, with the exception of Eli Gold. He seemed to read her better than most people, but then he was paid to be that way. She sighed and sat herself down on a barstool. She could pour herself a glass of wine and take a warm bath and pretend that everything was going to be ok, but in all honesty, she really didn't want to. She wanted everything to be different. Hadn't she told Eli that when they had spoken in her office, only a few weeks before? Her thoughts drifted back to the dinner with her family, brother, mother in law, Eli, and his friend. That had been and interesting dinner, and she was glad for the phone call that had interrupted, because she didn't think she would be able to make it through the whole thing without saying something to each and everyone of them, even her kids. She was that tired, although, the looks on Eli's face at various times, more than made up for some of it.

A knock at the door brought her attention to the time. Peter had taken the kids out to dinner, and with her brother on his way home, she could only guess that it would Jacqui or Eli. At that moment, she would rather deal with Eli. At least she wouldn't feel the urge to snap at everything he said. Luck was with her when she opened the door. She gave him a soft smile, feeling accommodating at that moment, an emotion that seemed to be more and more present when they were alone.

"Mr. Gold." She said, stepping back to let him in.

"Mrs. Florrick."

"If you're here to see Peter, he wont be back for a few hours. He was taking the kids out to dinner and a movie." She said immediately, thinking that Eli had campaign issues to talk about, but he commandeered a barstool for himself and watched her for a moment.

"I'm not. I came to see you." She was taken aback. He had never come to see just her, unless it was something related to Peter's campaign. She didn't let her surprise show, she was too good at masking her emotions for that.

"Then what can I do for you, Mr. Gold?" She still couldn't bring herself to be informal with him, other than those few moment's weeks ago, when he had seemed to catch her at just the right moment.

"Are you going to do as your brother suggested, and divorce Peter?" She hadn't expected that. How could he have known about her conversation with him in the kitchen? He had been in the dining room, trying to keep everyone at the table from becoming offended. She was starting to believe that he was a mind reader. Her eyes narrowed at him, and for fanciful second she hoped he could, and thought the nastiest thing she could think of in his direction. He didn't even flinch. Some of her surprise must a peeked through though because when she opened her mouth to respond, he interrupted her.

"If you're going to ask how, you'll just confirm it for me. " She closed her mouth and raised an eyebrow, allowing a smirk to steal across her lips. She was too good of a lawyer to fall into that trap.

"I wasn't going to ask how you knew. I was going to ask what you were talking about?" Eli smiled a little. She was good, he had to give her that. There was just something about her that brought him back time and again. He wondered briefly it that was what Will Gardner felt when he was around her, if that was what allowed him to confess that he loved her in a voicemail, the very voicemail he had deleted during the press conference.

"Well then, you've caught me at my own game." He paused, studying her. She was beautiful and projected an air of calm, but if anyone had bothered to look, like her brother had, and he had, they would see how tired she was, and in how much pain. No on else noticed, but they did, and he found himself liking her brother a little more, and Peter a little less, not that he was all that enthusiastic about anyone. Except for maybe her. "What did he say to you in the kitchen, that made you come back to the dinner table and make you very interesting toast?"

It was Eli's turn to be studied. He had shown that he was trustworthy once before, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to put more trust in him yet. She watched his eyes. She had heard something somewhere that said eyes never lie, she wasn't sure that was entirely true. His seemed to be sincere, much like when he'd come to her office and listened while she vented a small portion of what was bothering her.

"He asked me why I stayed with Peter, when I didn't love him anymore. He said he could see it in my eyes. And that if I decided to divorce Peter, it wouldn't be anything like when our parents got divorced. It wasn't the first time he told me I should leave Peter. They have never really gotten along. He doesn't like Peter, and Peter doesn't like him. And I have been stuck in the middle since they were introduced to one another." Her eyes took on a faraway quality that said she was remembering things that were best left to the past. It became apparent to Eli, that her marriage to Peter Florrick had never really been easy.

"That brings me back to my original question, will you divorce Peter?"

"Worried about his ratings in the opinion polls?" Her comment took on a snide tone that was ill suited to her voice and demeanor.

"Yes, and no. I like to prepare for all contingencies."

"And if I did divorce Peter?" She wasn't sure what she was asking of him. Maybe in some small, slightly crazy way, she wanted him to side with her over her husband, hoped that he would be the one to pick up the pieces when she finally gave in and fell apart. He didn't answer her, just stared, as if judging if she would really do it. He didn't think she would. As much as Peter had put her through, she hadn't been able to go through with it before.

"If you do, give me advance warning, so that I can prepare for the worst." It was said in a joking manner, but there was no joke in the tone he used. She nodded in acceptance.

They sat in silence for a while, neither moving. She felt the beginning of hunger pangs start I her stomach and without thinking she broke the silence.

"Have you eaten, yet, Eli?" It was asked almost warmly.

"No."

"How do you feel about chicken stir-fry?" He looked at questioningly.

"Its good." She nodded once.

"I'll be right back. There's wine in the cabinet if you would like some, or coffee if you want to make it." He nodded, but stayed seated on the barstool. She came back a few minutes later, hair pulled up into a ponytail, and her red suit and heels exchanged for a soft cotton button down, worn jeans and bare feet. He got the impression that he was finally seeing the real Alicia Florrick. She rolled up her sleeves and started rice and stir-fry at the same time. Within minutes, she placed steaming bowels on the bar for consumption. Eli shed his jacket and served up a dish for her and then himself. It was wonderful. He hated to cook himself, and always appreciated the skills of others.

Alicia seemed to relax, calling him by his first name, allowing him to do the same with her. Their conversation stayed far away from Peter, her children, her job, her brother, and his work. Eli felt like he was seeing something no one else, except maybe her brother had seen. The woman before him was warm, compassionate, and had a wickedly mischievous sense of humor, that had, from some of her stories, gotten her into trouble more than once. He found himself chuckling over her anecdotes, and wondering what he had done that allowed him to see this side of her. He was a lucky man indeed.

Dinner was long since finished, the dirty dishes stacked in the sink, and yet, he hadn't moved, and neither had she. He had no idea what time it was and for once he really didn't care. But the opening of the front door, followed by a shout from Peter, told him, that the night was at an end. He thought that she would immediately sober and retreat to her carefully crafted mask, but she didn't. Neither of the kids stopped to in to see, just headed for their rooms, most likely to work on homework, or whatever it was that kids did. Only Peter entered the kitchen. He looked a little surprised to see Eli sitting at the bar, and the friendly look on his wife's face.

"Eli. Did you need to speak with me about something?"

"Not this time, Peter. I'll be off. " He didn't catch himself in time to avoid calling her by her first name, and winced internally over the look Peter gave him. "Alicia, good night and thank you for dinner. It was wonderful."

"Goodnight, Eli." Peter showed him to the door, and once he was safely in the elevator with the doors shut between him and Peter Florrick, he breathed a sigh of something, he wasn't sure what.

Back inside the apartment, Peter returned to the kitchen and questioned his wife.

"What was that about?"

"What was what about?" She asked innocently.

"You and Eli, having dinner together? Him being here, but not to see me? I don't understand Alicia."

"There's nothing to understand. Eli came to see me about my brother. We talked for a few minutes and I asked if he was hungry because I was and it would have been rude to just kick him out. So I made dinner, and we talked about things that had nothing to do with your campaign, my job, or his job. It was pleasant conversation, something I enjoy once in a while." She started to walk out of the kitchen and his next question stopped her in the doorway.

"Are you sleeping with him?" She looked at him over her shoulder and allowed the next words to fall from her lips, with the same effect as a dagger to the heart.

"That's your M.O., not mine."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks to Aisha for being the first to review my story. I'm glad you liked it. I believe you are right, I am the first to write a multi-chapter Eli/Alicia fic. I love the idea of them, and am also surprised that there aren't more fics out here for these two. Sadly, not everyone likes unconventional pairings, like we do, but I guess that's what makes them unconventional. Lol! As for your question, Will or Peter, I would have to say Will. I like his character better. Now if you were talking about the actor, then I would say I've been a Chris Noth fan since Law & Order. But for Alicia, I like Will better, but I still have hope, the kind of hope one uses when wishing on a star, that she'll throw over both, and tell Eli 'Take me, I'm yours!" Lol! Enjoy, and I promise more chapters soon.

We'll See

Chapter 3

She would readily admit that her parting comment to Peter had been petty. She would even go so far as to say it was cruel. And she did feel a little twinge of guilt for saying it, even though he deserved far worse. Which was why she found herself lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling, at half past two, and wondering if she had hurt him in some small way.

She knew that he was aware of how he'd hurt her, and despite their few brief physical interactions, that she didn't trust him. When they were alone together, her dislike and distrust showed more than she'd like. She also wondered for a moment if her apparent friendliness with Eli Gold, had stabbed just as deep as her parting words. For a second she hoped so. But that brought her thoughts back to the small twinge of guilt she felt over her words.

She shook herself mentally and finally settled on the fact that Peter had no right to judge her on anything, after all of his indiscretions, and that she could be friends with whomever she chose. With that thought firmly settled in her mind, she fell into a restful sleep.

Peter on the other hand, was pacing the kitchen still. He knew he should get some sleep, but the giant sense of foreboding that hung over his head like a black cloud, refused to dissipate. He couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly, but he knew that something had changed, and that it wasn't necessarily for the better. Finally he gave up his pacing in favor of staring at his own bedroom ceiling. He sighed into the darkness and silently admitted to himself just how much he missed Alicia, and that as much as he wanted things to go back to the way they were, his life was never going to be the same again.

As the weeks started to pass, she withdrew from Peter, silently but surely letting him go. She knew in her heart that she was finally relinquishing the past. Peter noticed that she stood just a little farther away, and while she was polite as always, she was distant in her tone and mannerisms as well. The kids knew things were different between their parents, but they couldn't quite figure out what it was exactly. And because their mother was never close to their father when they were around anyway, it wasn't as obvious to them.

Eli Gold noticed. Alicia was subtle about everything she did, but he was very good at reading people. He wondered briefly if she would hold true to their agreement and give him a heads up before she divorced Peter. He sighed and waited for the bomb to drop, or the final straw that would shatter their already fragile façade, so that he could enact damage control.

The beginning of the end came a few weeks later, like a precursor to the final straw that would break the back of the proverbial camel. Eli was looking over the mentions of Peter, looking for anything potentially hazardous. In his perusal he included anything pertaining to Alicia as well, just in case. What he came across was an opinion poll, on why Alicia stayed with Peter. The choices were simple ones: money, love, and the kids. Things were dead even between the kids and money. He shook his head. He would have to warn both Peter and Alicia about it, as it seemed to be a popular poll. That wasn't the only thing to catch his eye. An article closely knitted with the poll, featured the topic of Alicia and Will Gardner. The article speculated that she was sleeping with him behind Peter's back, and that it was revenge for the hell he had put her through.

"Peter, you need to see this." Eli turned his screen toward the other man. Peter gave a sad smile.

"Don't worry about it Eli. They can speculate about it all they want. Nobody will pay attention to that poll. What else is on there?" Eli looked after the man and shook his head. People would pay attention and it would cost him when everything hit the fan. It was cost Alicia too.

"An article speculating on Alicia's relationship with Will Gardner." There was a tightness around Peter's mouth at the mention of Gardner's name, but he didn't say anything. Eli turned the screen back and continued to peruse the site. What he came across next was interesting to say the least. It was a photo array entitled Women of Scandalous Marriages. Alicia was ranked number one. He turned the screen back around to Peter again, and this brought a laugh from the man.

"That's just a bit of fun Eli. Let it go. We're fine." Eli suddenly felt hatred for his client, and out of nowhere he wished that everything was done and over with, so that he would no longer have to deal with such and unrepentant man. He even felt slightly sorry for Alicia, for having been married to him. He was struck by the fact that any loyalty he felt to the Florrick name, was for Alicia alone, and that if given a choice, he would happily sell Peter to the wolves, if it meant protecting her. It felt odd, and yet righteous, and totally at estranged from everything client he'd worked for and with before. He tried to shake it off, and scoffed at himself that he was losing his touch, that he was off his game. But it was more and he knew it.

Alicia sat in her office, contemplating the subtle shifts she'd been making. She was good at subtle shifts; she was a lawyer after all. Will hadn't noticed yet. He was still wrapped up in his world. A few times when they'd spoken about things, had friendly conversations, she'd felt like he was expecting her to say something, or that she was going to react in someway, but that had tapered off. He appeared to be seeing someone new, and she was happy that his focus was away from her. She needed the distance from him as well. Like a pond after the rock had sunk to the bottom, everything was evening out for her. She knew it wouldn't last long, it never did, but for now, it felt nice to be on even keel, even if it was only temporary.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you Aisha for your review of the last chapter. You're still my one and only. I'm glad you like that I'm taking it slow. I feel like I have to, because as you said there are so many hurdles. It has to flow naturally with this one. Here's hoping you like this chapter as well.

We'll See

Chapter 4

She was in her office when the news hit. Despite her subtle distancing from Peter, things had been going well. He was ahead of both Childs and the new female candidate in the polls. It looked good for him. He wouldn't win by a landslide, it was hard to do with the votes being split three ways, but a win none the less was a distinct possibility. Alicia had decided that if Peter could keep himself on the straight and narrow until he was actually in office, then she would quietly separate from him, and then a number of months later they could divorce in an equally quiet way. It would be better for Peter and for the kids if things went that way. But the media had decided that they needed to stir the pot, and it was Peter's own fault, yet again. The headline that splashed across the screen of the small TV in her office was enough to have her clearing her schedule for the rest of the day, and leaving work. As soon as she was ready, she all but flew out the door and our of the office building.

Will Gardner had also had his screen going on the news. He groaned as the headline was announced by the reporter, the very woman he had been seeing, and had escorted to the office function not a week before.

"_Peter Florrick, the object of scandal once before, has done it again. These photos were taken of him, with a known escort on his arm. They returned to her home, and he was seen exiting the premises a few hours later…"_

Will flicked the screen off and stood to find Alicia. He knew that she would need a friend at that moment. As he opened his door to exit his office, he saw her fly past and into the elevators, on her way out of the building. He sighed and secretly hoped that she would leave the bastard this time.

Alicia knew she had to get her kids from school before the news hit them. They needed to hear it from her and not some news reporter. It would be even better if they heard it from their father, but that would have to wait until everyone was in the same room. She had done her best to protect them from the scandal before, but she wasn't sure she could do so again.

She made good time reaching the school, and asked the secretary at the desk to pull her kids out of class. The woman looked at her knowingly as the news played on the office screen. She scribbled out passes and gave them to an aide and told the kid that the passes took priority over everything else. Alicia nodded in thanks, but the older woman waved her off and went back to work. Alicia paced anxiously in the small space. It seemed to take an age for her children to appear in front of her. They both looked worried.

"Mom, what wrong? Is Dad ok?" Grace was the first to ask, always concerned. Alicia was reluctant to discuss things in front of the school office but knew she needed to assuage the fears of her children. Zach was the first to notice the screen, and everything that she was trying to prevent came crashing around her as she answered Grace's questions.

"Your father is fine, but I would like to discuss this in the car." She answered, hugging her daughter around the shoulders.

"It's about what's on TV, isn't it? He's done it again hasn't he?" Zach accused. Grace turned to look at the screen and had tears in her eyes when she turned back to her mother and brother.

"That's part of it, but we should discuss it privately. Come on, you two. I'm going to give a pass to skip for the rest of the day." Zach looked dejected, and Grace was struggling to control her tears admirably. She hugged them both, and nodded at the secretary who hadn't said a word the entire time. Alicia escorted the kids out to her car and loaded them in.

They were home moments later to an empty apartment. She sat the kids down on the couch and took a deep breath to bolster her courage. It was going to take a lot of courage to face what was coming next and to deal with their questions when she still had so many of her own.

"Remember when I said that we would be honest with each other, that we would talk about anything and everything you wanted to talk about. You asked some personal questions and I wasn't ready to answer them. I'm still not ready, but you both deserve to ask and have your questions answered and I will do my best to answer them. So I want you ask, to be angry with me, with your father. It's ok to be upset because we've both had a hand in turning your world upside down." The kids nodded. Where Grace was the first to be concerned, Zach was the first to ask the tough questions.

"I don't understand why everything has happened this way. Why did Dad go out with that woman? Was it because you won't share a bedroom with him?" Alicia was prepared for that question exactly. She'd asked it of herself enough times and wasn't surprised that her children would blame her for their father's indiscretions. Deep in her heart, it hurt, it was the worst pain she'd ever felt, but she knew they had always worshipped their father. He could do no wrong in their eyes.

"I don't know why he chose to go out with that woman. It could be because I won't share a bedroom with him. It could be that he wanted someone to be intimate with, and I will not be with him. Our marriage will never be the same as it was before. He can't take back being with other people, and I can't trust him to be with me alone. That is why I won't share a bedroom with him. And without your father here to tell his side of things, I can only guess at his motivations, which I will not do."

"Doesn't he love you, love us?" This was from Grace.

"Of course he loves us. He never stopped loving us. But you can love someone and still want to have sex with someone else."

"Did you have sex with Will Gardner? Is he the reason Dad thought it was ok to go out with that woman?" Zach was very angry, and she could tell he'd decided that she was the best target for his anger.

"I said I would never lie to you. So I want you to know that I am telling you the truth when I say that I never slept with Will Gardner. I don't care what the media says, what your father says, or your friends for that matter. I haven't, and I won't, with anyone, while I am still married to him."

"You're refusing to stoop to his level." Grace whispered, more tears pouring from her eyes. Alicia was heartbroken over such a thing coming from her daughter's mouth, but she had to agree, even if it was silently, and within her own mind.

"Don't say that Grace. There is no stooping and no levels to reach. Your father and I have problems and we are going to solve them. I will tell you now that I will not tolerate any more of your father's flings. I can't. It hurts too much and I'm very tired of acting like everything is ok, when we all know it isn't." She paused, wanting to say more, but couldn't put into words how she felt at that moment, so that her children would understand. As it was, she wouldn't have to. She heard the door open and close swiftly.

Peter came into the living room, followed closely by Jacqui. She sighed in defeat. Peter had called in the big guns by bringing his mother with him, and she was a lone target in the house. She suddenly felt very alone, and on the verge of an emotional breakdown. The kids looked between their parents. Zach was still angry and he didn't care who saw it. But Grace looked at her father's face and saw shame, and back to her mother's face, to see defeat, something she'd never seen there before. She got up and pulled Zach with her.

"Let's give them some space to talk; the rest of our questions can wait until later." Grace pulled him along with her, into her room and closed the door, leaving Peter and Alicia to face each other, with Jacqui in his corner. It was going to be a very long night.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Two chapters in one day, I'm practically on a roll. For soundofmusicjibbsjunkie4ever, I'm glad I have a second reviewer. You're right, the wrench or Eli deleting the message will come up later, but first I need to ditch Peter. Hehe. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Its a little angsty but I'm trying to get through all of the things that lead to Peter being shoved out of the way. Besides I think Eli has a secret White Knight complex. Lol!

We'll See

Chapter 5

As he sat in his office, staring out the wide, floor to ceiling windows, Eli Gold contemplated whether Alicia Florrick would blame him for Peter's current indiscretion. He considered it a distinct possibility. He was, after all, supposed to keep Peter Florrick on the straight and narrow as well as help run his campaign. He had tried talked to Peter after the news broadcast had aired, but the man had brushed him off with a hasty 'Later' and dashed out the door. Eli knew he would be going home to Alicia, who had probably left work early and gotten the kids from school. He didn't know how he knew she would get the children first, but he knew. She was a mother after all, and if there was one thing good mothers did, it was to protect their offspring as best they could from real or perceived dangers. He decided he would give it time, allow Peter to contact him that is if Alicia didn't stick to their bargain, and talk to him first. He would allow them some time to deal with the fallout themselves before he made an appearance. At least he thought he would. But the more he sat there, the more he thought about Alicia, and how things would go for her, the more he wished he was there. Before it had formed into a coherent thought, Eli was up and out the door, on his way to the Florrick apartment.

Alicia eyed Peter with disdain. Jacqui was speaking to her in a condescending tone that suggested to Alicia that Peter's indiscretions were her fault. Peter said nothing, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. She knew that if he didn't stop his mother soon she would. She had come close to snapping at the older woman a few times before, but this was pushing her limit. She almost breathed a sigh of relief when the doorbell sounded. Jacqui stopped talking abruptly as Alicia excused herself to answer it. Opening the door revealed Eli Gold. She didn't think she'd been so happy to see anyone in her life. The tears that she'd been refusing to cry suddenly sprang into her eyes, although she kept them from falling.

Eli took in her slumped shoulders and the extra moisture in her eyes, and wanted to pull her into an embrace, to protect her. It was a new feeling taking him by storm. First his extreme dislike for Peter, followed by a loyalty to Alicia, and now this feeling that he needed to play the 'White Knight' to her 'Damsel In Distress'. It confused him but he shoved it to the side as she stepped back to let him enter. He felt a little like an intruder but there was no way for him to back out now, as she closed the door behind him with a soft click.

Eli followed Alicia into the living room and took in the scene. Alicia was perched on a chair across the room from Peter who was sharing the couch with his mother. He knew then that it had been right to come to her aid, so to speak, as this was obviously a case of two against one. He sighed silently, gearing up his defenses for the battle that he knew was sure to come. Jacqui resumed her chatter once he was seated. Going on about how Alicia could have been better wife, and how she should have supported Peter's campaign more. Peter said nothing, still lost in his own world. He spared a glance at Alicia to see she was perilously close to losing her composure. He opened his mouth to stop Jacqui, or Alicia, he wasn't sure which, but Alicia beat him to it.

"Stop it!" Jacqui halted mid word, startled, and staring at Alicia with wide eyes. "Stop talking. I am so sick of being blamed for everything Peter does. It's time that he took responsibility for his own actions. I will not deny that things have been rough since everything came to light earlier this year, but I will not be blamed for his mistakes any longer. I stayed the first time because you said he deserved a second chance, and to think about the children. I stayed because you said he needed me. He doesn't need a good wife. He needs to learn to control his fucking behavior. I am so tired of putting up a front. I am so tired of not being me and I am so tired of living this lie with him. I'm done. There is no coming back from this one." Jacqui opened her mouth to speak again but Alicia waved her off. "No Jacqui. I'm tired of you telling me how to raise my kids, how to be a good wife, how to treat Peter, how to be you. I'm done." She looked at Peter, who still had his head bowed, afraid to look her in the eye. "Peter, look at me." He raised his eyes, but couldn't bring himself to look her at her. "Peter, this was coming anyway. I was going to wait until you made it into office or the campaign was over, whatever, but I was going to ask for a separation and then when all of us were established on our own, I was going to ask for a divorce. This latest event just sped up the time table. I can't live like this anymore. "

"Alicia, please…" Peter tried to talk, to reason, but no words would come to him.

"No Peter, not again, never again." She paused, lost in thought. Eli considered that she didn't really need him there, that he was just a witness to the inner turmoil of a failing marriage for no reason other than Peter was a political figure. He wasn't needed to play the 'White Knight' when Alicia called on all of her inner strength. She could slay the dragon on her own.

Alicia had never felt stronger than in that moment. She had her own strength, but having Eli Gold there was somehow giving her courage as well, not to mention he got the heads up he wanted. Her thoughts turned to the children. They needed to discuss things with them as well.

"Grace, Zach, come out please." She called. The children looked confused to see him there, but figured he would have to in the know if he was going to save their father's campaign. "I want you to sit down and we're going to talk about things."

"You guys are going to get a divorce; we could hear you through the walls." Zach said sullenly. Grace just looked upset.

"I thought you loved each other!" Grace started crying in earnest now.

"Grace, sweetie, look at me." Alicia commanded, and she looked up. "Remember what I said earlier, how you could love someone and still want to be with someone else?" At the girls nod, she continued. "Well this is sort of the same thing. I love your father very much. I will always love him, because he gave me the two of you, but I don't like being hurt, and as much I love him, and he loves me, we're hurting each other. And it's going to hurt to get a divorce, more than anything else, but we can't stay together anymore. It's not right for us, and it's not fair to either of you either." Eli loved the gentle way she tried to explain to the kids. He knew they were all in pain and she was trying her level best to keep that pain to a minimum. Zach continued to look suspicious of his mother, as if he was trying to gauge her sincerity.

"I don't believe you. I think you hate him. That you want to be with Will!" Alicia looked torn but Peter finally spoke up.

"Zach, do not speak to your mother like that." The boy started to interrupt but Peter waved him off. Eli was finally witnessing what it took for Peter to step up to the plate and act like a real man. "The problems your mother and I are facing are my fault. I cheated on your mother. I was with other women. I broke the vows we took when we got married that said we would love and honor each other, forsaking all others. Your mother has been very patient with me. I knew she wanted to get a divorce the first time this happened. I never knew why she didn't go through with it, but I hope it was because she loved me enough to see past my mistakes. I see now that it was entirely her decision. I know that you are angry with her, and with me, but your mom did nothing wrong. She stood by me when she didn't have to and she tried to make the best of a difficult situation. And I believe her when she says she doesn't want to be with Will and you should too." He trailed off, apparently out of steam, his words seemingly draining what little energy he had. Zach looked a little shocked that his father wouldn't blame everything on his mother, that he was taking responsibility for what had occurred.

Grace continued to be upset, and as she was standing next to his chair, Eli rose and maneuvered her into it. He decided to take his leave then. He wasn't sure if Peter would drop from the race or not. After this incident coming to light, it was highly likely that he would.

"Alicia, Peter, I'm going to take my leave. I will be at the office for the rest of the afternoon and all day tomorrow if you need me. No one looked at him except Alicia. She rose and followed him to the door. She stopped him with a hand on his arm before he walked out.

"Thank you, Eli, for being here. I know it seems like you didn't do anything, but you were here at just the right moment. I would like to see you tomorrow or the next day, whenever you have things sorted out with Peter." She said quietly. He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. He remembered thinking once, that he wanted to see her smile without the pain shadowing her eyes, but seeing her at that moment, knew that it was even farther off that he had originally hoped.

"That will be fine Alicia." He turned and walked out the door. As he entered the elevator and turned back to face her once again, he wanted nothing more than to grab her up and carry her away with him, so that she wouldn't have to deal with any more of the torment she was being put through. Alicia gave him one last sad look, as if she wished the same and closed the door to return to her dissolving family.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: I don't really have one this time. But I plan on bringing up Will vs. Eli, and the deleted message within the next chapter or 2.

We'll See

Chapter 6

Alicia returned to the living room. She surveyed the room, taking in the damage. She was sure that Zach wouldn't be speaking to her for a while. Grace was torn between her parents. Jacqui had stayed remarkably quite after Alicia's outburst, and Peter had gone back to contemplating things inside his head, while staring at something only he could see. She decided then and there that she would find a place to stay for the night, and worry about living arrangements later. She went into her bedroom and packed a garment bag with a few blouses and suits she would need for work. Grace came in a layed on her bed.

"Dad and Grandma are going to her house. Dad said that he didn't want to uproot anyone and that it would be easiest for him to leave and stay with her. Zach wanted to go with them, but Dad made him stay. He's not happy. I know he's angry but I don't understand why he's mad at you. Its Dad's fault." Grace trailed off, suddenly guilt for blaming her father. Alicia stopped her packing and shoved everything over so she could lie next to her daughter.

"Zach is angry because he thinks it's my fault because I didn't try harder to keep your father. He thinks I pushed him away, and in a way I did because your father hurt me. When we got married he promised to love me and forsake all others. He broke that promise. It's a big one to break. Its ok if your brother is mad at me. He needs to blame someone and its ok if it's me. I blame myself too."

"I don't blame you. I don't want to blame Dad either, but it feels like we're being ripped apart."

"I know sweetie." Grace was quiet for a few minutes like she was mulling things over. She sat up suddenly and looked at her mother, as if something had just occurred to her, a great revelation. "What is it, honey?"

"You said that you would always love Dad because he gave you the two of us. You said that you can love someone but want to be with someone else. You love him, but you're not in love with him anymore, are you?" Grace was so insightful, even at her young age.

"No, I'm not in love with him any more. I don't think I have been for a long time, even before everything went crazy the first time."

"Is Dad still in love with you?" Zach asked from the doorway. He had been listening to the conversation from there, waiting for a moment to apologize for being a jerk.

"I don't know, Zach, but I don't think so. We haven't been happy for a while now."

"Then why did you stay? Why didn't you guys divorce before everything went wrong?"

"I stayed for you. I've always stayed for you and Grace. I didn't want to disrupt yours lives anymore than everything already had."

"You were protecting us." Grace interjected.

"I was trying to protect you. I don't think I did a very good job of it though."

"You did fine Mom, but we were going to have to deal with all of this at some point." Zach came in and sat next to the two of them. Alicia hugged her children and hoped that things wouldn't be as terrible in the morning as they felt that night.

Peter had shown up at Eli's office first thing the next morning. He had decided to drop the campaign in light of his indiscretion being aired to the public yet again. He also decided that in light of the divorce that would soon be looming over his head, it was best to cut his losses before things became worse than they already were. Eli had nodded at all the right moments and assured him that he would wrap everything up. Peter had thanked him, but had stayed, looking at him in quiet study for a moment.

"You don't like me do you?" Peter asked. Eli hesitated before answering, wondering if he should tell the truth or lie. He decided that he was tired of lying for the moment and would tell the man the truth.

"I don't, not really." He answered.

"Because I cheated on my wife?"

"Because Alicia deserves better." Peter looked at him suspiciously before he gave a short bark of laughter.

"I once thought that she was lucky to have me. I was so arrogant. I was the lucky one. I don't think I really realized that until she started at Lockhart & Gardner, working Will. That first moment I realized that he could steal her away from me, I was so jealous, but she hasn't said anything about Will in months. It wasn't him I had to worry about was it? She doesn't care about Will as more than an employer or a friend does she? Its you, you're the one who will steal her away, aren't you? I didn't see that coming."

"We're all lucky for knowing her. Your wife is a remarkable woman, and extraordinary woman. I can see what drew you in, what drew in Will Gardner. There's just something about her that holds your attention. And no, she doesn't care about Will. She a moment where she needed to vent, and I was handy to listen, and she told me. You know she had an idea, about you and the escorts, before everything came to light? She told me that too. But as to stealing her away, I can't steal something that's already gone."

"If things hadn't turned out the way they did. If we could continue on with things they were, say a week ago, who would you have been loyal to in the end, me or her?"

"Her." It was said simply and without reservation.

"As I thought. Good luck Eli. Watch out for her brother though, he's a little nuts." With that Peter walked out the door, and out of Eli Gold's life. He sighed in relief, and wondered if that hadn't been Peter's way of giving him permission. He shook his head and got down to the business of closing out Peter's campaign.

It was more than a month later that the divorce was finalized. Alicia hadn't seen him in all that time. She had waited until everything was settled before giving in and going to see Eli. He greeted her at his door with a soft smile, one that she returned.

"Eli."

"Alicia."

"I…" She started but wasn't sure how to continue without seeming like an idiot. It was unusual for her to be at a loss for words, but she was. Eli had an idea of what she had come to see him about.

"If you're wondering about if I will keep my business with Lockhart & Gardner, I will. So long as you're there, I will. If you decide that you would like to take your skills elsewhere, I will follow. You are an excellent lawyer." She blushed a little at the compliment.

"Thank you. I was wondering. I appreciate the vote of confidence. I can use all of them I can get right now." She was a little subdued, but then the media had crucified her and Peter both. Peter had of course borne the brunt of it, but she was still harassed by the hounds for being his ex-wife, for leaving him. Eli nodded in understanding. "Peter told me something when we were in proceedings. I thought he was insane for a moment. He said, and I quote 'Everyone is loyal to you Alicia, everyone but me. I'm sorry and it puts me to shame.' I asked him what he meant. He told me that even you had chosen to side with me over him. Is that true?"

Eli hadn't thought Peter would voice those thoughts to Alicia. He had hoped that he would keep things to himself, but had. He shrugged in a non-committal way, not sure of how to answer her question and turned away to study the cityscape layed out before his window. Alicia came up behind him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder turning him to face her. He gathered his courage and looked her in the eyes. She must have seen his answer in his eyes, because she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for everything, Eli." He shrugged again still unsure of what to say. She studied him for a moment, before leaning her head against his shoulder. She felt him jump slight at her over familiar touch. However he didn't push her away or pull himself back. He stood very still as though unsure what to do with her. Right then she just wanted a little comfort from the man who had become a friend. She shuffled a little closer to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. He wrapped his own arms around her shoulders, giving in and pulling her into a full embrace. She let herself relax into his arms, allowing his warmth to surround and comfort her. She wasn't sure when it had happened, or what made her decided, subconsciously that he was the one to trust, but there she was in the arms of Eli Gold, and she finally felt safe.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: This is the last chapter I'm putting up tonight before I head off to bed. If you want more, you'll just have to wait. For OctoberGirl82 and soundofmusicjibbsjunkie4ever, this is the chapter with the voicemail confrontation. I just hope that I haven't gone to mushy on this one. Enjoy!

We'll See

Chapter 7

Alicia came into work the morning after meeting with Eli, and settled in with her open case files. She often used work to distract her before, but in truth she really enjoyed her work. Will came in and asked to speak with her. She was unsure what it was about as he wasn't following or chairing any of her cases. He seemed upbeat and a little breathless. She followed him into his office. He told her to close the door and take a seat. She sat and waited for him to tell her what was going on.

"How are you?" He asked her. He looked to be studying her critically, looking for signs of unhappiness, tiredness, and pain.

"I'm fine, thank you." He continued his study of her. He nodded after a moment, as if silently agreeing with her.

"How are your kids taking it?"

"They're fine for the most part. They've had a few issues at school but seem to be dealing well enough. Will, what is this about?"

"The night of Peter's press conference I called you. You didn't answer."

"I gave my phone to Eli, while we were in front of the cameras. I got your voicemail, Will. I thought you had decided to let things go. I made my choice. I had to live with it."

"Wait, you said voicemail. I left two, one right after the other." She looked confused, before the light dawned on her.

"Ah. Eli. He must have deleted it." She could feel her anger rising. She had trusted him, and he had betrayed that trust. "What was the message you left?"

"That I wanted to find a way for us to work. I wanted a chance with you, plan or no plan. I wanted to be with you no matter what." He was agitated on her behalf. He still loved her. She sighed.

"Even if I had received the message Will, that wouldn't have happened. I like you Will. I think at one point I could have fallen in love with you. Sometimes I wish you'd made your move when were in school, so that I could have been spared the hell that I went through with Peter. My life would be so different now, I think. But that's in the past now. You're my friend, and I would like to keep that with you, no matter what." He looked a little taken aback. He had hoped that now that she was free, she would just fall into his arms liked he'd always imagined.

"Of course Alicia. We'll always be friends. What will you do about Eli Gold?"

"Eli and I will be having a talk shortly. Did you need anything else?" He shook his head and she returned to her office, silently fuming.

She tried to work. It was hard to concentrate with the feeling of betrayal weighing her down. Hadn't she suffered enough with Peter? What was it about the men in her life that made them unreliable? She wanted to scream her frustration out loud. As she wasn't in court, she gathered up various files she needed to look over and all the things she needed for her various motions and her laptop. She would work that evening. She had to sort out Eli or she was going to lose her mind.

She didn't bother to call ahead. She had a feeling he would be in his office. As he had a glass door, she could see that he was alone, and not attached to his telephone, so she didn't bother to stop at his secretary's desk, but stepped straight into his office. His secretary tried to stop her or warn him, but she was already there standing in front him.

Eli looked up into the eyes of Alicia. He could tell she was upset. He was sure she was upset with him. He studied her and saw that she was showing her emotions. She wasn't quite wearing them on her sleeve but she was acting more like what he suspected was the real Alicia.

"Alicia."

"Mr. Gold." Her tone was icy, and he felt the loss of something special when she didn't call him by his given name.

"What can I do for you?" He tried to give her a professional tone. He knew that if he kept things in that realm, she would be more inclined to respond in the same manner, at least he hoped she would. However the real Alicia could react quite differently.

"We need to talk about a voicemail you deleted." Her tone was still icy, and he could almost swear that the temperature of his office had dropped by at least five degrees since she'd entered the room.

"Ah, that." He looked down a considered how to justify his actions. He wondered if he actually could justify them to her. He didn't think so, but if given the chance, he would try at the very least.

"Yes, that. You had no right to delete my messages. Did you listen to it? Why am I asking, of course you did, or you wouldn't have had reason to delete it. Who were you protecting? Me or Peter, or yourself?" This was Alicia when she was angry, and felt like she could freely show her emotions. He liked the way her fury sparked in her eyes. He liked the way she seemed less in control of herself. This was the real her, not the good wife who had given her good housekeeping seal of approval on things during the campaign. He infinitely preferred this real person, to the cold statue that stood next to Peter during that fateful press conference.

"Yes I listened to it. I was protecting all of us, granted this was before we had our conversation. I didn't know how you really felt about Gardner, or how you really felt about Peter, so I was doing what I was hired to do, protect the campaign for Peter, protect you from more scandalous accusations than what was already floating around, and myself, by catching a potential issue and acting on it so as to neutralize the threat."

"You had no right to take the decision from my hands. It doesn't matter how I felt about either one of them. It was still my choice and you took that away from me. " Her had lost their spark of anger and her tone had slipped from icy to sad. He knew then that he'd betrayed her trust, even before he had it to betray. All he could do was try to make amends for his actions and hope that she understood his reasons why.

"I am sorry, Alicia. I never meant to hurt you, or betray your trust…" He trailed off, unsure what to say to her, and not for the first time either. She was sharp, and she had a way of knocking him off balance sometimes so gently he didn't notice until it was too late. Not this time though, this time she'd come at him in a full frontal assault. It was nice to see her vary her tactics. It made her a more interesting and less predictable opponent. Although very few people would ever call Alicia Florrick predictable.

Alicia studied the man she'd felt safe with not more than a day before. He was the same man in looks, but the added bit of information skewed her opinion of him. She had trusted him willingly, and he'd betrayed that trust. It hurt. She wouldn't deny that. It hadn't hurt as much as Peter's betrayal, but nothing ever would. He looked remorseful. He looked contrite, well as much as man like Eli Gold could look. He hadn't intended to cause harm but to protect. Something in her was already forgiving him. In all honesty, listening to Will's voicemail wouldn't have changed her mind. She still would have chosen Peter in that moment, because there were no other options at the time. She sighed turned away from Eli to stare out his windows. He had a wonderful view, one that she would have killed for in her younger days when she'd still been in law school.

Eli rose and stood next to her, taking in her reflection painted in pale, washed out colors on the glass. He could see she was wrestling with a decision, and that it concerned him. He let her work it out on her own. She would deliver his verdict and sentence in her good time. He could be patient, because she was worth being patient for. She turned to him abruptly, almost startling herself in the process.

"I will give you a second chance if you promise to not do anything of the sort again. You have to trust that I can and will make the right decisions. If I need input I have no problem asking for your opinion, but when it comes to the decision, the choices are mine to make. Are we clear?"

"Yes, of course. I have no reason to ever do such a thing anyway, unless of course you run for office yourself in some fashion, in which case I have learned my lesson and have been warned." She gave him a soft smirk, still not the full smile he wanted to see, but he would take what he could get, and shook her head in slight exasperation.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." She was about to turn and leave but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"Thank you for giving me a second chance, Alicia."

"Don't ever betray my trust again, Eli." He nodded and she was gone a moment later. Only the lingering scent of her subtle perfume hanging in the air, the warning in her eyes that stayed with him, and the tingle on his lips from where he had kissed her cheek to were left to remind him that she had been there in the first place.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: I seem to be recruiting more fans. I'm so glad! I was worried there for a little while. Anyway, per request, Kalinda will appear in this chapter, and possibly later as well. I'm not sure yet. I don't really have things defined out long term. I'm more of a write by the seat of my pants type person. That being said, I hope all of my loyal followers continue to enjoy the story.

Aisha – Don't worry about it. I was a posting fiend the other day. I barely got any real work done. And done worry about your grammar, I think you're doing fine. I can understand what you're saying. I'm glad I have a diverse following for this story, so don't worry about still being in school. I'm working on my Bachelor's Degree myself, so I'm in school too. Also don't worry about the reviews you leave me, I really don't care if they're constructive or not, so long as I'm not receiving flames, I'm a happy camper. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you said I made the kids relatable. I was trying so hard, but I have nothing base it off of, as my parents were happily married until my Dad passed away a few years ago. I just tried to imagine what I would feel like and go from there, so I'm glad I got something right. I liked the part about Alicia snapping at the elder Mrs. Florrick too. In watching the show, I keep wishing she'd just say something instead of allowing herself to be treated like that. Ok, now, on with the chapter.

We'll See

Chapter 8

Alicia didn't go back to work, despite the fact that her drive to Eli's office and the subsequent conversation hadn't taken more than an hour. She hadn't wanted to return to work. While things had been mostly settled between her and Peter, there was still some tension in the office, and gossip was at an all-time high. Kalinda, who had been very supportive, and surprisingly forthcoming, had told her multiple times to ignore the ridiculous idiots and do what she needed to do. She took her advice for the most part. It was still difficult at times to ignore the whispers that seemed to follow her down every hall, and past every office door.

She settled at the bar in the kitchen. It had become her favorite place to work when no one was around. She knew that Peter would be picking the kids up after school and taking them to his mothers, where they would spend the next day, as well as the weekend. She had the entire apartment to herself for the weekend, and after her conversation with Eli, that was perhaps for the best. She didn't need any more drama than she was already facing.

Her thoughts turned to Kalinda for a moment. They had become better friends since she had divorced Peter. Alicia knew that the other woman had worked for Peter when he was in office, and she had been forthcoming with information when Alicia asked about various things. She had never seen Kalinda be emotional, or handle emotional people well, but she had been there when Alicia needed another woman to talk to.

She turned her thoughts back to her work. She was going to be productive while she had the time and the silence at her disposal, to get ahead in her work. She was so absorbed in her files and various papers, that the sound of the doorbell startled her enough that she almost fell off her barstool. She checked the time and noted that several hours had passed and she was starting to get hungry. She opened the door to find Kalinda on her doorstep, holding bags of takeout.

"Kalinda. This is a surprise. Did something come up? I've been so absorbed I didn't hear my phone."

"No, nothing came up. I came by to see how you were. You left in a rush earlier. I wanted to make sure that everything was ok." Alicia stepped back to allow her in.

"I'm fine. I had a minor issue to take care of with Mr. Gold, and decided to work the rest of the day here."

"That's good. I was worried for you. I brought Thai from that place you love." Alicia smiled fondly at the younger woman and started to clear away the bar. She hated to eat at the table. It reminded her of too many nights of silence between her, Peter, and the kids. She didn't want that feeling to pervade other dinners. She was glad she had Kalinda for a friend, even if she did suspect the woman's motivations were not always friendly. She was not as oblivious as some seemed to think she was. She was well aware that the young woman she was sharing dinner with, hit for both teams. It was what made her so interesting. She wasn't attracted to a gender, but a person.

The evening passed quickly in the face of good companionship. The women talked about everything from the people they worked with, to mundane things, all the subjects that women covered in their discussion with other women. It was nearing midnight when Kalinda took her leave. Once the door was shut and locked behind her, the true emptiness of the apartment seemed to close in on her. She didn't really want to be alone and was half tempted to call the younger woman and ask her to stay the night just so she wouldn't have to deal with her silent home. She shook her head to clear that thought away. She knew that she would have to get used to it at some point and that it might as well be sooner rather than later.

As she lay in her empty bed, in the dark, she briefly wondered what it would be like to have Eli lying next to her. Since he'd been released to come home, she'd never let Peter into her bed with her. He'd stayed in his room and when they'd been intimate those few times, they were never in her bed. It was like she didn't want to taint her bed with memories of his indiscretions, or anything relating to Peter in anyway. Her thoughts turned again to Eli, as they had been more and more in recent months, ever since their first real conversation in her office. She was willing to trust him again, knew that she already was, when she had walked out of his office earlier. She could even go so far as to see them together at some point in the distant future, if she squinted really hard, but she wasn't ready to embark on that particular journey so soon after getting burned. She had to admit that she'd been getting over Peter for more than a year, despite the fact that she'd stayed married to him for that amount of time after everything came to light.

Alicia conjured an image of Eli. It was hard to picture him in anything other than the suit she always saw him in, but there he was, tie loosened, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, like he'd been the night she'd made him dinner. He was relaxed and smiling, and she felt herself smiling in return. It was with that image fixed in her mind that she fell into sleep.

The next morning Alicia was up bright and early. Without the kids to see off to school she was at a slight loss as to what to do with her early morning. Knowing that she could always work, she went earlier than normal to get a jump on the day. She had court that afternoon so she spent plenty of time going over her case files and notes to make sure that she hadn't forgotten anything. Kalinda stopped in on her way to her office and said good morning. Will waved as he walked past, and Diane nodded in her polite way. The usual chatter started to gain momentum as more and more staff entered the office. Their voices became a gentle hum in the background until it ceased abruptly, causing Alicia to look up and see what had caused the silence.

The elevator doors were just closing behind the biggest bouquet of flowers she'd ever seen. At the center, a large grouping of purple hyacinths caught her attention. The rest of the flowers were roses, ringing out in a wave of color. Around the centered purple blossoms were a ring of perfect ruby red roses followed by a ring of white roses, and lastly a mix of dark and light pink, with fern leaves for decoration. The entire thing was massive, obscuring the person carrying the flowers, except for their hands, gently gripping the vase which was a beautiful swirl of amethyst, ruby, and cobalt. She'd never seen such a wonderful array in her life. All the ladies seemed to be in awe, herself included. Even Kalinda stopped to study the scene. The young man behind the flowers politely asked for her, and she was in sudden shock. All eyes turned to her, and she had to slide her court mask into place to avoid showing her shock, and intense pleasure that such a wonderful arrangement could be for her. One of the assistants pointed her out, and the young man started toward her office. He was obviously used to walking with large arrangements because he avoided running into anything or anyone. She shook herself free of her internal shock and cleared a spot for the bouquet to reside. She thanked the young man and gave him a tip, waiting until he was gone to search for a card. She could tell the whole office was waiting with baited breath to see who would send such a beautiful thing to her. Alicia opened the card and started to read.

_Alicia,_

_Purple hyacinths symbolize an apology, and even though I apologized before, allow me to do so again. I'm sure being the well versed person you are, you can guess what the rest are for. Thank you again for giving me a second chance._

_E_

Alicia read it again before allowing herself to sit slowly in her chair. She was in shock. It was so unlike him, at least what she knew of him. He had completely surprised her. She'd never suspected anything so romantic to come from Eli Gold.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: For all my followers, here is the new chapter. Sorry it took so long to update. I've been diligently working on my readings for my Texas History class in preparation for the test I will be taking later today. That being said, there was a request for more Will in this chapter, and your wish has been granted. There is a little of Kalinda as well. No Eli in this one but I'm trying to make Alicia a little more carefree, and Will fit the bill as it turned out. Hopefully I'm not deviating from the character's personalities too much. Also I will award a special mention in the next chapter to anyone who catches my reference to 'Crossing Jordan'. Enjoy!

We'll See

Chapter 9

Alicia was unsure how to react to Eli's declaration through flower. He had been right. She was well versed, and knew the meaning behind various flowers sent to a woman. Red roses were passion and love, white were for purity of intent and new beginnings, the two together were for unity, and the pink roses were for admiration of grace and elegance, and of course purple hyacinths were an apology. She had to appreciate not only his taste, but his ingenuity. Knowing the meaning of flowers was becoming a lost art in the current era.

She studied the arrangement intensely, letting her mind wander over her Eli Gold. She could feel a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. He did that too her. He made her feel safer, appreciated. He knew she was intelligent, and never seemed surprised that she was more than she appeared. That night they had talked over dinner, before the divorce, she had felt comfortable enough with him to show her true self. No one saw that part of her, except her brother. And she liked that he could bring it out in her. She liked his company. She liked him.

Alicia pushed her mind away from the flowers, when Kalinda knocked on her door. She smiled up at the younger woman, a true smile for once.

"What can I do for you, Kalinda?" She asked.

"Nothing. I came to see if you needed anything for your court case today."

"No. I'm fine, thank you." Kalinda nodded but stayed in the doorway. She nodded to the flowers.

"Who…"

"Eli Gold." Alicia answered, her smile returning. Kalinda nodded again and was gone from her door. The rest of the morning passed quickly. She spent the afternoon in court. She exhibited her own style in the courtroom, using her calm, political mask, to trip up the witnesses. She was very subtle in her tactics, which often pushed her opponents into underestimating her. She wasn't flamboyant, or restless in her mannerisms, which led opposing council to think that she was silent due to incompetence. She was in truth, an excellent lawyer.

When court adjourned for the day, she packed her materials, to return to the office. She found Will sitting in the back of the room waiting for her. They stared at one another for a moment before she walked down the aisle to meet him at the doors. She waited for Will to break the silence, knowing that he had less patience than she did, and wouldn't be able to resist telling her why he was there.

"You did well in court today. I like the way they continually underestimate you. It's a good tactic, the silence and gentle expectation." He said, playing into her own expectations.

"It isn't a tactic, Will; it's the way I am. Whatever they assume, is their own fault. Did you need something in particular?"

"I wanted to talk with you. I feel like we didn't get to finish our conversation yesterday. You said the kids were doing ok, and that you were fine, but are you really?"

"Are you asking as my boss, or my friend?" She was trying to set the ground rules.

"I'm asking as your friend. We aren't in the office now."

"The kids are dealing well enough as I said before. I on the other hand will survive. I always survive."

"That's not saying much Alicia. Don't you want more than just surviving? Don't you think you deserve to happy for once?"

"I do want more than surviving. I do want to be happy. It will take time to get there though. Right now there isn't a lot to be happy about. I just finalized my divorce to a man that I've loved for many years, and who is the father of my children. I am happy about working. I enjoy my job. I am happy to have my kids in my life. I am happy to have you as a friend. But beyond that, I'm not sure yet. There is so much I missed out on by just being Peter's wife. I have to find me again. Once I do that, maybe I'll be living more than just surviving."

"Do you think that there will ever be a chance for me to be the one to give you a small portion of the happiness you're looking for?"

"Will, you are my friend. You are my boss. It has been twenty years since we were those happy young adults in law school. I will admit to thinking that maybe that's what I wanted when I first came to you for help, but I'm not the same person I was. This last year has changed me so much. I will always care for you Will, but I don't think I can ever give you what you're asking for. That feeling just isn't there." She sighed sadly. He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her to a stop.

"I had to give it one last try." There was a sadness in his eyes that was echoed in hers. He pulled her into a brief hug, placing a friendly kiss on her forehead, before releasing her. She smiled up at him, and he felt like he'd been given a very special gift, the gift of a true smile from Alicia. It was the one that she had given him so many years before, when he first realized that he was completely in love with her. It was a little painful to see it now, at the end of any romantic feelings that had existed, but it was a good pain, a little like healing. They resumed their walk back to the office. It was chilly, but neither one of them minded. They were comfortable with each other, with the new dynamic between them.

"You haven't asked yet." She prompted after a few minutes of silence. He looked at her knowingly.

"I figured you'd tell me when you had a moment. After all, I am your best friend." He said it in a slightly girly voice.

"Yes, my bestest girlfriend." She answered with a laugh. It was almost like the old days between them. She had called him that before, when they were in law school. She had always been able to tell him anything, even then.

"Absolutely. So…" He prompted.

"The flowers are from Eli Gold."

"Smart man. I'm almost jealous I didn't think of that."

"Yes, he is a smart man, and don't be jealous, it's petty. I was surprised to say the least. He didn't strike me as the romantic type, but then he has surprised me a lot in the past month."

"What do you mean romantic? And how did he surprise you?"

"Well the flowers represent an apology, love, passion, unity, admiration of grace and elegance, and purity of intent. As for surprising me, the flowers were one. He sided with me over Peter. He was there the night everything came crashing down, just in presence. He listened when I needed someone to vent at, and reserved judgment, and never tried to use any of it against me, although he could have. He's becoming a good friend as well."

"But will he ever be your bestest girlfriend?" Will asked with a smile.

"No, that is reserved solely for you." They were silent for a few minutes before he started to laugh a little.

"What is so funny?"

"Eli Gold falling under your spell." She looked at him warily, like he was losing his mind, waiting for him to elaborate. "You don't see it, because you don't have an arrogant bone in your body, but you just have this effect on people. It's obvious on me; I've been in love with you for years. It was obvious on Peter. He was smitten the first time he saw you. I had thought that Eli Gold would be the tough nut. He wouldn't fall your charms, but even he couldn't resist. And it's not just on men. Diane respects you so much more than you realize, Derrick too, although he is a man. And Kalinda would probably do just about anything for you. And you don't see it at all."

"I really think you've lost what little there is left of your mind." She scoffed.

"Alicia, you are a force to be reckoned with on any and every level. I think that if you want to find your own happiness, you have to accept that you are an extraordinary person on every level, and that we all see you that way, whether you can see it or not."

"Thank you." She said seriously, as they reached the doors to the office building. She was quiet for the few minutes it took to reach their floor. As they exited the elevator and were about to go their separate ways, she responded, allowing the mischievous girl he'd fallen in love with so many years before, make an appearance. "And next time I need an ego boost, I know just who to call."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Sorry it's taken so long for another update. Between school and work, and school and work, and family, things have been rather busy. I finally had time and inspiration to write another chapter. That's not saying much I know, but what can I do? Anyway, this one may seem a little out of character, because I'm attempting to establish the personality Alicia had before she was the political wife of a state official. That being said, I hope you enjoy this short chapter, and hopefully it won't take me as long to post another one.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: None

**We'll See**

Chapter 10

After packing up her belongings and her flowers, and heading home to her empty apartment, Alicia suddenly wondered when she'd gotten so old. It was a Friday night. She was off duty, so to speak, for the weekend, and the kids were with Peter. By all rights she should have been out with girlfriends having a few drinks at a nice restaurant, and giggling like teenagers over the cute waiters. But she wasn't. She was at home, the silence surrounding her. It was a little disconcerting to not hear anything when she walked in the door, but it was starting to become familiar.

Alicia set aside her briefcase, and set the flowers on the island countertop, before making her way back to her bedroom. She kicked off her heels, letting her calf muscles stretch deliciously before she padded to the closet to change into something more comfortable. She eyed her clothes for a few minutes; finally landing on a pair of dark wash boot cut jeans. They were almost brand new, as she'd had very little occasion to wear them. They had a cute rhinestone pattern on the pockets, and she smiled at the memory of Grace picking them out for her, and then proceeding to gush at how good they looked, when she'd finally broken down and tried them on. She had decided to live a little and bought them on impulse, just like she was going on impulse now and wearing them. Alicia dug through her closet, looking for something appropriately casual the wear with them. Her eyes fell on a blue striped oxford shirt and black vest. It was casual and she had loved wearing it the one time she'd worn it around the house. She decided it would be perfect with her jeans. Once she was dressed in more casual clothes, she wanted to go out. She had nothing to hold her to the apartment. She refreshed her makeup, pulled on some black boots, and pulled out a leather jacket she'd had since college.

After putting her ID, a credit card, and some cash into the breast pocket of her shirt, under her vest, Alicia picked up her keys and cell phone and headed out the door. It felt nice not be tied to her briefcase, or her power suit. It felt nice to be herself. She didn't need to wear her mask. She could be Alicia Cavanaugh, for the first time in ages.

Deciding she didn't really want to be alone on her night out, Alicia dialed Kalinda first. The younger woman answered on the first ring and without even a hello.

"What's up?" Kalinda asked in a soft voice.

"Nothing. I was going out, and wanted to see if you had plans." Alicia answered.

"So nothing work related?"

"No. Just me, asking a friend out to have a drink, maybe get some dinner."

"Ah. I'm a bit busy at the moment, but rain check for next Friday?"

"Sure. Have fun." Alicia hung up the phone. She was a bit disappointed, but she would survive. Hadn't she told Will that very thing? Her thoughts turned to the man in question, and briefly considered calling him, but decided against it. It was a little too soon to start testing the bonds of their friendship by going out, in what could possibly be construed as a date situation. Her roaming thoughts landed on Eli. He was a much more suitable candidate for what she had in mind. They could talk, and any romantic interest could be addressed as needed because she had a feeling that after a little more time, she would probably be going that direction with him anyway.

Alicia felt her phone vibrate, and the tune that spilled out made her smile. It seemed Grace had gotten her hands on her phone again. Goldeneye by Tina Turner poured out of the little speaker on her phone, as it informed her that the man she'd just been thinking about was calling her.

"Do you have ESP?" She asked instead of her traditional hello. She could feel a smile tugging at her lips already.

"Why yes, I do. How did you know?" Eli Gold asked from the other end.

"I was just about to call you, when my phone rang, and you were calling me."

"Ah. I supposed Caller ID would be a dead giveaway."

"What did you need, Eli?" She asked, her tone soft and inviting. It was warm, and he took a moment to revel in it. He loved the sound of her voice when she spoke to him like that, and used his first name.

"I was wondering if I could take you to dinner, as another apology." She smiled. He was going a little overboard, first with the flowers, and now dinner.

"I would love to go to dinner with you, although, you really don't need to apologize any more, especially after the flowers you sent. Thank you, by the way. They're amazing."

"Great. So what were you going to call me about?"

"I was going to see if you wanted to go to dinner. You must be really good with your ESP." They both laughed for a moment.

"I'm heading out now, are you still at the office, or home?"

"Neither actually. I'm about a block from your office. I'll meet you out front?"

"Sure. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"See you in a few." They both hung up their phones, and stared at the screens. Alicia felt a smile tugging at her lips again as she completed her journey to the front doors of his office building. Eli shoved his phone in his pocket and started out the door. He left his briefcase under his desk and picked up his overcoat, loosening his tie as he went. He had a little spring in his step as he walked to the elevators. He was having dinner with Alicia. He could hear how relaxed she had sounded in her voice. It was like she had flipped a little switch and become the woman she was before she was Peter's wife. He had a feeling he would be seeing a lot more of the carefree Alicia, and a lot less of her previous incarnation, Mrs. Florrick.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I know you want to kick me for not updating. I swear its not my fault. I'm currently working on a loaner computer while is being fixed. I will hopefully get it back today *crosses fingers*.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: None

**We'll See**

Chapter 11

Alicia met Eli as he came out of his office building. He was in his typical suit, tie loosened, and his normally perfectly combed hair was slightly askew as if he'd run his fingers through it multiple times. He paused, seemingly to drink in her own altered appearance with a soft smile tugging at his lips.

"I feel singularly overdressed now." He said finally.

"Well, it all depends on where we're going for dinner." She answered with a smirk of her own. "I could be supremely underdressed."

"Never." He commented pointedly. "I like this." Eli gestured to her ensemble. "It reminds me of the night you cooked dinner for me. It was like I was seeing Alicia for the first time, rather than Mrs. Florrick. I like this Alicia person much better than your other incarnation."

"Mrs. Florrick has officially been shoved back into her box, never to be seen again. She exited with as much dignity as she could manage and Alicia was left in her stead, happy to be seen and heard once more."

"Good. Now may I please escort Alicia to dinner?" He asked offering her his arm. She nodded and slipped her arm through his.

Eli steered them back the way she'd come and into a bistro a few doors down. They were seated almost immediately as the maitre'd recognized Eli. The silence was comfortable between them as they looked over the menu and placed their orders. With no barriers between them, it slowly shifted into awkward.

Alicia studied him quietly. His hair was slowly easing into gray. The light strands made him look distinguished. His eyes were a deep shade of brown that was like an endless well, yet they sparkled when he was happy or excited. His smile was one part mischievous little boy, one part sexy and she had to keep a tight rein on her emotions and the purely feminine reaction she had to him, to keep her knees from going weak. It had been a very long time since she'd felt anything remotely similar. Alicia glanced up to find him watching her in return. She flushed, but didn't break eye contact.

Eli found he liked the hint of pink that stained her cheeks, as well as the way she studied him, slightly analytically, but also as a woman. He had no problem returning the favor. He liked the way she had pulled her hair back and he could see all of her face. He also liked the way she had a gleam in her eyes, as if she was finally excited about her life, and to be living. It made her look alive, and human, and very warm.

Their waiter returned with their salads, momentarily distracting them from each other. Finally Eli broke the silence although she didn't think he meant to say what he did.

"You're beautiful." He breathed out, and she looked up at him sharply, not expecting those words to pass his lips. It was somewhat of a shock, but not an unwelcome one and she felt a true smile break across her face. Eli though he was in heaven. He had finally received the gift of seeing a full smile on her face as well having been the cause of it.

The rest of their dinner passed quickly and with great conversation, since he'd broken the ice. They enjoyed each other's company, and continued to talk and laugh until the restaurant had closed down for the evening.

Eli escorted her out onto the street and she slipped her arm through his again. The temperature had dropped a few more degrees. They huddled together for warmth and he made to hail a cab, but she stopped him, stating that she was enjoying their walk and it was only a few blocks to her apartment. It sent warning bells ringing in his head but he ignored them and steered them toward her apartment. They were both shivering slightly so he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close enough to feel her breath on his cheek, and her arm curled around his waist and suddenly everything felt very right.

They reached her apartment and she offered him coffee to warm up. He could tell she didn't want him to leave and if he told himself the truth, he was reluctant to leave as well.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: You're getting 2 chapters today. I'm feeling so productive.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: None

**We'll See**

Chapter 12

Alicia was confused as she sipped her coffee, while sitting next to Eli on her couch. They were warm and comfortable and she was reluctant to let him leave, even as she knew she should. She set aside her cup while the war fought itself inside her head. The Alicia inside her was fighting with the woman who had been Mrs. Florrick. 'Alicia' finally won, shoving the other person back into her box. It was getting easier each time she did it. She was slowly regaining her independence and her spark.

"Will you stay tonight?" She asked softly, thankful that he'd also set aside his cup, He studied her seriously.

"Is that what you really want?" He asked equally soft. But she knew he was really asking if she was ready for him to stay.

"I can't say that I ready for more than someone sleeping beside me, but yes." She nodded to confirm her though. She wasn't ready to have sex with him yet. That was too intimate, and she wasn't sure she could handle it yet. She was sure that if they allowed things to go that far so soon then it would ruin the small amount of comfort they'd found with each other.

"Ok." He answered, confident that she knew herself well enough to dictate how far she wanted to go. She took the initiative and snuggled into his side. Now that she knew he was going to stay with her, at least for the night, then there was no reason to hold herself back from touching him.

They enjoyed the feel of being in close contact with one another for a while longer before she felt herself starting to drop off. She shifted to sit up and found him eying her drowsily as well. She stood and took his hand, pulling him up behind her. Once he was standing she kept his hand in hers and tugged gently to keep him following her into her bedroom.

It felt natural for him to be there in her room. It had never felt right the few times Peter had only stepped over the threshold. She entered the bathroom and pulled out a spare toothbrush for him to use. It was kind of comforting to see another toothbrush next to hers in the holder. He had shed his tie and unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt when he entered the bathroom behind her. He watched her in the mirror as she washed away her makeup and brushed her own teeth. He followed suit. He had to admit that being with her in her small bathroom felt right.

When they were finished with the bathroom, he followed her out into her bedroom. She slowly peeled out of her vest and her shirt. She really didn't have any qualms about undressing in front of him. She turned and reached into her drawer to pull out a night gown. His hands were warm on her back as he released the clasp of her bra for her, and then placed a soft kiss on her shoulder before stepping away. It wasn't meant to be seductive, but she was seduced by it anyway. She pulled off the bra and slipped her night gown over her head. She turned around to find Eli watching her with smoldering eyes.

Alicia reached up and began to unbutton his shirt, tugging it out of his pants and slipping it of his shoulders. She pulled up his undershirt and over his head. He had already toed off his shoes in the living room. He unbuttoned his pants and let them fall to the floor before stepping out of them and his socks. He piled his clothing on a chair by Alicia's dresser. He felt a little exposed standing there in nothing but his boxers.

Alicia pulled back the covers on her bed and he took the other side of the bed. They laid down facing each other and she reach back to turn the light off. There was enough light coming in through her window that she could just make out his features and the gleam of his eyes in the darkness. She reached out to trace his features and when she reached his lips, the pressed against her fingertips in a chaste kiss. His hands reached out and pulled her closer, until he could feel their breath mingling across the pillow they were suddenly sharing. He wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head under his chin, and she nuzzled into his neck. It felt so right to be there in his arms. She breathed in his scent and slowly let herself relax and drift off into her first night of uninterrupted sleep that she'd had for as long as she could remember.

Eli felt her breathing even out and allowed himself to relax as well. Alicia was a very attractive woman, and one particular appendage of his was very interested in her. He allowed his control to ease a little because he would never be able to sleep if he had to keep telling himself to behave. He took a few deep breaths, pulling the smell of her shampoo and perfume into his lungs. He allowed himself to drift in her presence and float off to his own sleep.

When Alicia awoke, she was warm and very content. She could feel the movement of Eli's even breathing beneath her head, and hear his heartbeat in its steady beating soothing her back into sleep. But something had woken her in the first place. She wasn't awake enough to put her finger on it, until she heard the front door slam, and her daughter yelling. She sat up quickly and was already disentangling herself from Eli, when her bedroom door was flung open.

"Mom…" Grace trailed off, tears in her eyes, as she spotted Alicia, and a now awake Eli.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Another chapter, can you believe it? Haha! :D

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: I suppose some of this comes from various episodes of the second season. Whichever one that mentions Eli has a daughter, and I referenced the talk Alicia had with Jackie in one of the episodes, and it the conversation itself will happen in later chapters.

**We'll See**

Chapter 13

"Mom?" Grace's voice came to her again. "What's going on?"

"Grace, please wait in the living room for me." Alicia answered, looking her daughter in the eye. She refused to blush or be embarrassed in front of her children. She could still see the tears in Grace's eyes. She knew that something had upset her daughter, which had brought her home on Saturday morning, instead of Sunday night. Grace nodded in her shock, and walked back into living room.

"Sorry about that." Alicia said quietly, turning to Eli finally. He gave her a soft smile of understanding.

"Don't worry about it. I have a daughter of my own. She lives with her mother and spends a few days at a time with me. She's 16. It's happened to me before as well." He answered. She could see the amusement in his eyes, and the warmth of mutual parental troubles.

"Well, she won't wait long. She's a bit impatient. Let's go see what has upset my child." Alicia said offering him a slight upward crook of her lips, as if she couldn't quite bring herself to smile fully about the situation. Eli nodded. She watched him dress in his slacks and shirt. He left off his socks for the moment and his tie. His jacket and tie were still in the living room. She put on her robe and he followed her into the living room. Grace could be heard making coffee in the kitchen. She knew her mother well enough that serious conversations were only allowed after she was awake enough to make sense of her teenagers' ramblings. She and Eli both took seats at the bar and Grace wordlessly passed cups toward them.

"Grace," Alicia prompted. "I know you have questions. I also know that you're upset about something. Which would you like to discuss first?"

"I'm upset at Grandma. She was bad mouthing you and Dad didn't say a word. Why was she doing that? Why does she keep popping up where ever we usually hang out? It's a little weird. I want to see her, because I love her and she's Grandma, but not quite that much. It's like she's turning into a stalker." Grace said quickly, deciding to start with what had upset her most. She wasn't really upset about her mother and Eli Gold, only a little surprised.

"Your Grandmother is confused about why your Dad and I split up. She thinks it's my fault that things happened the way they did, that I didn't love your Dad enough. She's entitled to her opinion. She can say what she wants about me, to anyone she wants, but she and I will have words about saying it in front of you. I will also talk with her about popping up in places she is no longer welcome." Grace nodded.

"Can I ask about you and Mr. Gold now?" Alicia smiled and nodded.

"I think after this morning, you can call me Eli." He prompted. He had been silent, watching mother and daughter, interact. He had wondered if his own daughter had similar conversations with her mother, and if they were as civil. He didn't think so. His ex-wife was a volatile person. It was part of the reason their marriage didn't work, well that, and he was a workaholic.

"Ok, Eli." She gave him a small smile. She really did like the man.

"What questions do you have for me and Eli?" Alicia prompted again.

"I don't know really. Maybe how long you guys have been seeing each other?"

"I guess last night was the first date, wasn't it?" Eli looked to her for confirmation. She nodded.

"And you guys are already sleeping together? Isn't that a little fast?" Alicia's eyes widen in surprise, even though she should have expected that question.

"Grace…" She started, trying to find a way to put it without being completely blunt about the subject of sex. "Just because two adults sleep in the same bed, doesn't necessarily mean that they're having sex. While I do like Eli quite a lot, and will continue to see him, neither one of us is ready for that step in this relationship. In truth, we barely know each other, but sometimes, I want someone next to me in bed. It's something that I've missed. It's probably the only thing I miss about being with your Dad. Eli filled that missing part last night." She paused, taking in her daughter's expression. Grace seemed to understand what she was saying and accept it well enough. "Are there any other questions you want to ask me or Eli for that matter?" Grace was silent for a moment, contemplating what would be acceptable to ask.

"Yes, actually I do. Will you both do me, and Zach for that matter, a huge favor?"

"I have to hear what it is first." Alicia answered and Eli hid a smile behind his hand. She employed a perfect strategy, hear the proposal, then agree or disagree. Very tactful, and it was one of the things that made her a great lawyer.

"Will you guys just act normal? Don't hide the fact that you're seeing each other. I mean that's why Zach and I had so many issues about you and Dad. You talked to us a little, but you never just told flat out, everything that was going on. We tried to understand, but without all the information, it's difficult." Alicia looked to Eli for confirmation on this one. She needed him to agree with her as well, before she could say yes to Grace's favor. He nodded in acceptance of the terms. She gave him a slightly devilish smile. He really had no idea what he'd just set himself up for.

"I agree to your favor. I promise to be more open about what's going on in our lives. I will do my best to answer your questions, and so will Eli. You can ask whatever you want. I can't promise that we'll answer everything, Grace, some questions just aren't appropriate to ask. Do you understand what I mean?" Grace nodded, looking between them. Eli's eyes had widened considerably at Alicia's statement, and suddenly he couldn't hold back the laughter that was bubbling inside of him. It spilled over his lips even though he tried to hold it in. His shoulders started shaking with mirth. Alicia smiled at him, and leaned into his shoulder, her own laugh mingling with his. Grace smiled at them both, happy in their happiness. She hadn't heard Eli ever truly laugh, and it had been so long since she'd heard her mother laugh so freely. She was entranced.

Grace moved around the bar and leaned into her mother's other side. Alicia wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hugging her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. It was wonderful to be so close with them, and for a moment, even though Eli wasn't her Dad, it was like her world hadn't fallen apart, and that this was her family.

They finally controlled themselves and Grace hopped up on the bar to sit and watch the two of them. And just as suddenly as the happiness had effused the room, it disappeared with Alicia's next question.

"Grace, where is Zach?"


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: None really, just another update to tease you with.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: None really.

**We'll See**

Chapter 14

"Grace, where's Zach?" Alicia asked again. Eli could hear the worry in her voice.

"He stayed with Dad. He said I was being too sensitive and he wasn't going to let Grandma ruin his time with Dad. I was so angry and upset that I didn't really care if he stayed or came home."

"Then how did you get home?"

"I took a cab." Grace answered her sheepishly.

"Grace! You should have called me or asked your father to bring you home. You could have been hurt or kidnapped. Don't ever do something like that again."

"I'm sorry Mom. I just wanted away from there. I didn't think."

"I understand, but I want you to be safe."

"Your mother is right, Grace. You can even call me if you need to." Eli added. Both mother and daughter favored him with smiles.

"I need to call your father and let him know you're here and you won't be coming back. Did you bring you stuff home, or do I need to ask you Dad to bring it when he brings Zach home tomorrow?"

"I brought my stuff."

"Ok. You go get a shower and put you things away. I'll call your Dad, and then we'll figure out what to do with ourselves." Grace nodded and scurried off to her room.

"Well that was an interesting way to start the morning." She commented wryly to Eli, who simply held open his arms to her. Alicia snuggled into his embrace, enjoying his scent of warm male and coffee with a hint of his aftershave. It was very faint but still definable.

"Why don't you get ready as well and I'll treat two of my three favorite ladies to breakfast? I hear pancakes and waffles are excellent comfort food." He suggested after a moment, also reveling in holding her close.

"Two of your three? I suppose your daughter is the third?" He nodded. "Then by all means we accept, but you might want to clean up as well."

"I'm kind of rumpled aren't I? As well, will an hour and half be sufficient time for you two to be ready for breakfast?"

"That should be enough time, especially if I herd my child. Go, get cleaned up."

"I will then. See you soon." He pressed a quick, chaste kiss to her lips and was gone and instant later. She pressed her fingers to her lips as if to capture that fleeting moment in her hands.

She allowed herself one more moment to stare at the door before she pushed herself into action and picked up the phone to call Peter. It promised to be an unpleasant conversation and it was best to get it over with as soon as possible. She dialed his number with some trepidation.

"Hello?" His voice came on the line and she breathed a silent breath of relief. She really didn't feel a thing for him anymore.

"Peter, its Alicia. Grace is home now. I wanted to let you know that she made it here safely and not to worry. If something like this happens again, you need to bring her home instead of letting her take a cab. Or call me and I will come get her. Is Zach alright?" She tried to sound stern, or at least neutral, but it was hard to do over the elation of having Eli to look forward to. She hadn't felt this giddy since she was in college.

"Yeah, he's fine. I'm sorry about mother. She doesn't know when to stop sometimes. I should have said something. Please tell Grace I'm sorry."

"I will, and Jacqui and I will be having a talk as well. I know she's your mother but she can't keep doing the things she has or she's going to push me too far."

"I know. I tried to talk with her but she won't listen to me. She never really has. She just smiles and them does what she wants."

"I know. I lived with her while you were in prison."

"Right. I'll drop Zach off tomorrow evening then?"

"That's fine." Alicia didn't allow him to say anything else. She hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment before leaving it on the counter. She had more important things to do, like making sure Grace got moving so she could take her own shower and get ready for the day.

Eli came back by a little over an hour later. Grace let him in to the apartment with a cheeky smile. She took in his casual dress of jeans and a t-shirt and leather jacket much like her mother would, a slight widening of the eyes and no comment.

"Grace."

"Eli." She said as she stepped back so he could come into the entry way. "You came back."

"I did. I'm going to take you and your mom to breakfast."

"She didn't tell me that."

"That's because it would have distracted you from getting ready." Alicia said from the doorway as she slipped in a pair of earrings. She was wearing her jeans from the previous evening and another button down shirt. She had left the vest off this time, but reached for her leather jacket again. She had pulled her hair back into a simple pony tail. Grace took in her mother's appearance then crowed in delight.

"I told you those jeans were awesome!"

"So you did."

"You have good taste, Grace." Eli commented, with a cheeky smile for Alicia. "Are we ready?" The ladies nodded as Grace put on her own jacket. It promised to be a wonderful morning for them.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: None really, just another update to tease you with.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: None really.

**We'll See**

**Chapter 15**

Breakfast was a hit. Eli took them to one of his favorite restaurants. Even his daughter never complained about eating there. They chatted about anything and everything. Grace kept them jumping from topic to topic, but neither adult minded, in the face of her easy acceptance. They both knew that Zach would be the tougher nut to crack. Eli, for the most part, just enjoyed the company. His daughter spent little time with him. It felt for a few moments like this was his family. He let himself consider that fact. If things continued to that point between him and Alicia, this would be his family. The thought had him smiling.

Grace excused herself to the restroom. Alicia pulled him from his thoughts once they were alone.

"What has you smiling like that? It's almost sweet." She asked and he wondered if he should answer her truthfully. He put that thought out of his head and decided to tell her. Peter had lied to her too many times. So in his own defense, he would be as honest as possible about everything.

"I was watching you and Grace, and thinking that having breakfast together like this, almost felt like the two of you were my family. Then I thought that it was a possibility if you and I were to continue seeing each other to that end. I liked the thought, but I know it's too soon to talk about things like that." He answered.

"I'm glad you told me. I was feeling that way too. You are correct though. It is too soon. We barely know each other." She smiled at him softly. Grace rejoined them a moment later.

"So what should we do with the rest of our day?" Grace asked expectantly.

"That is entirely up to you and your mother. My time is yours today." Eli looked pointedly at Alicia, who smiled. Grace grinned at the two of them.

"You guys are so cute!" She practically squealed. "Can we go shopping?" Alicia nodded and turned wide eyes to Eli, and mouthed 'cute?' her confusion evident on her face. Grace was practically hopping up and down with excitement. "Great! Let's go!" She urged them out of their seats and out the door of the restaurant. She was nearly dancing up the street toward the shops. Eli just shook his head and grinned at Alicia, offering her his arm.

"Your daughter is quite exuberant." He commented.

"She loves to shop. I don't think she really cares if she buys anything, but I warn you now, she likes to look at everything and anything in the stores she deems necessary to visit. This could take hours."

"Well it's a good thing that I have all day, isn't it?" Alicia just laughed and shook her head. If the man had no sense of self preservation, then she wasn't going to attempt to save him again. They ambled after her daughter who had already spotted to the first store she wanted to visit.

As the day progressed, they added shopping bags to their adventure, but they were small and few in comparison to the amount stores her daughter pulled them through. By the time Eli dropped both ladies off at their apartment, the two out of the three of them were well and truly exhausted. Grace disappeared into her room to put away her purchases.

"How on earth does she have that much energy? Were you like that when you were her age?" Eli asked as they sat on the sofa.

"No. I think she gets it from her uncle. My brother was like that as a kid. Always on the go. He always had so much energy. He's not much different now, but time has slowed him down a little bit. You survived Grace, but you can't make it through her and my brother shopping at the same time. No one can. Which is why when he visits and insists on going shopping, I send them off together and stay out of it. My sense of self-preservation may be low when it comes to my daughter, but it's pretty high when it comes to my brother and daughter doing something together." Eli laughed at her answer. Despite the marathon they had figuratively run, he had enjoyed the day spent with mother and daughter. And it was sadly coming to an end. He felt reluctant to leave, but he didn't want to overstay his welcome.

"I guess I should be off. I'm sure you have things to do." He started to get up but Alicia held him in place with a hand on his thigh. She leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Stay for dinner. Then if you insist on leaving, I'll let you go. Ok?" He nodded, still speechless from the kiss she initiated. She rose from the couch a moment later and set off toward the kitchen. He could hear her humming softly as she pulled out various pans and dishes and set about making something for them to eat. He was captivated by the sounds she was making, and by her simple presence. He didn't hear Grace approach until she sat down next to him on the couch, making him jump.

"You really like her, don't you?" She asked softly, so as not to call the attention of her mother.

"I really do." He answered.

"She likes you too. I haven't heard her that happy in a long time. Ever since this stuff with Dad started, she stopped humming. She only does that when she's happy. Uncle Owen noticed it when he was here for his last visit. That's part of why he kept asking Mom if she was going to divorce Dad. He said that she was the same way when they were kids. "

"Well I will do my best to keep her happy. I don't want to lose her, Grace. I feel like your Mom could be the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."

"That's good. I hope you stick around, Eli. I like you too." Grace reached and hugged him quickly before hopping up and joining her mother in the kitchen. Eli stared after her. It seemed to him that the Florrick women were unusually adept at shocking him into silence. He followed a moment later to help them with dinner.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

**We'll See**

**Chapter 16**

Zach let himself into the apartment. He smiled as he opened the door. He could hear his sister giggling and his mother was humming softly. It had been ages since he'd heard either of them so happy, and briefly wonder about the cause. He dropped his bag by the doorway to the living room, and entered the kitchen. He was surprised to see Eli Gold sitting at the island, chatting with Grace, while they watched as Alicia danced around the kitchen, cooking with a grace a flare none of them had seen before. He allowed the smile to stay on his face. He wasn't sure about Eli just yet, but his mother was truly happy and that was a major accomplishment.

"Zach. You're home early. Dinner is almost ready." Grace called happily. Alicia paused in her movements to take in her son. He smile was genuine, even if it didn't quite reach his eyes. She waved him over.

"Wash up, and you and your sister can set the table." She kissed him on the top of the head and nudged him over to the sink with her elbow, snapping the tongs in her other hand at him playfully.

"Sure Mom." He answered softly.

"How was your time with your Dad, and Grandma?" Alicia asked.

"It was ok. It took me a little longer to see what Grace was talking about with Grandma, but I wanted to spend some time with Dad, so I just ignored her. That is until Dad had to go out, and it was just me and Grandma. She's being really weird Mom. Could you get Dad to talk to her, or talk to her yourself?"

"Sure sweetie. I'll talk with both of them."

"Mr. Gold. Its nice to see you again. Did Mom invite you for dinner?" Zach asked. He was trying to keep things casual, but it was difficult.

"Yes, she did..."Eli started, but Grace interrupted him.

"Today was awesome Zach, you totally missed out. Eli took Mom and me to breakfast, and then we went shopping. It was so much fun." Grace said with energy.

"Well then I'm really glad I stayed with Dad. Shopping with you is a nightmare. Mom, and Mr. Gold are lucky to be alive." He joked, taking the information in stride. Alicia studied her son, and wondered if he wouldn't be as hard to crack as she thought he would be.

"Please call me Eli, Zach."

"Sure, Eli."

They sat down to dinner. The conversation was far from stilted and by the time Alicia walked Eli to the door, she was truly amazed at the maturity shown by her son, and her daughter. She kissed Eli gently on the lips, keeping things light.

"Today was wonderful." She said as the parted.

"Yes it was. We'll have to do it again sometime." He answered.

"Yes we will."

"Good night Alicia."

"Good night Eli."

Alicia rejoined her children in the living room. They were waiting for her expectantly. Well Zach was. Grace already knew everything that there was to know, as she'd spent the day with them. Zach looked puzzled and at the same time content.

"Zach, I know you have questions. Time to ask. I promise to tell you the truth, and answer your questions as best I can." Alicia said as she sat on the coffee table so she could face her children.

"How long have you been seeing Eli?" Zach asked.

"Well we had dinner last night, and he spent the day with us today, so since yesterday."

"Did he spend the night?"

"Yes, but not like you're thinking. We slept together, but we didn't have sex. Do you understand the difference?" He nodded.

"Are you in love with him?"

"I don't know yet. I really like him though, and I would very much like to see where this relationship is going to go."

"Does Dad know yet?"

"No, I haven't discussed it with him yet, but I think he might have some suspicions that Eli felt more for me than just friendship when he was campaigning, and when we were going through the divorce."

"Ok." Zach shrugged in acceptance.

"Ok? Just ok? No more questions?" He shook his head. "I'm surprised. I expected you to have a tougher time with this, or am I just not seeing it?"

"Nope, I'm good."

"I probably shouldn't ask this, but why?"

"He makes you happy." Grace answered for her brother, who nodded in agreement.

"How...?" She couldn't voice the rest of her thought.

"You were humming and dancing around the kitchen. You're wearing your jeans, and a t-shirt. You've kicked off your heels, and I saw your sneakers by the door. You haven't been this relaxed since before the whole think with Dad. Eli did that to you, so we are happy that you're happy."

"My observant children. You are too good to me."

"We love you Mom."

"I love you too my darlings." Alicia could feel the tears on her cheeks. "What would you like to do now?"

"Popcorn and movies?" Zach suggested.

"What kind of movie?"

"Horror movies!" Grace squealed. Alicia rolled her eyes but agreed. She was so happy to have such wonderfully accepting children


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: None

A/N: I'm just trying to give it an ending. I lost interest in the show and never even finished watching the 3rd season. I have no clue what has been happening, so hopefully this will be enough of an ending.

**We'll See**

**Chapter 17**

For some reason, Alicia expected the weekend to be more dramatic. It had passed with a quiet certainty that her children were happy that she was happy. The following week and month proceeded in much the same fashion. She had half expected to be vilified in the news for moving on so suddenly, or be accused of having an affair behind Peter's back with Eli. However nothing ever appeared in the news. She and Eli weren't secretive about their relationship, nor did they advertise. They simply went about their lives as though they had never been in the public's eye. It seemed to be working.

Things at the firm were good. Every day she was doing something that proved not only to herself but to her colleagues that she was more than just Peter's wife. She had earned her own law degree right alongside Peter and Will, and was just as competent, if not as experienced as the men. She loved her job. She was happy to be doing it. That feeling was why she wanted to be a lawyer in the first place.

At home her children seemed to be coping well. Jacqui had back off for the time being, but Alicia knew it was only a matter of time before she resumed her old habits. She seemed to want to stalk to children when they weren't with her. It was creepy but Jacqui had become accustomed to having the kids around. Peter was trying to find work, possibly out of state, which meant that Jacqui would see even less of the children. She was sure that the older woman would have a complete fit at some point in the future.

Eli had been wonderful. He had taken the time to get to know each of the children, what the liked and what they hated. He had brought his own daughter over for dinner to meet the kids and her. She was very opinionated and out spoken. Alicia guessed it came from Eli's ex-wife, as he was one to measure his words carefully. She truly enjoyed spending time with him. Their conversations always went beyond just what they were currently working on. They could talk about anything and everything.

Owen had come for a short visit to inform her he was taking a teaching position at a university in town. She was pleased that he would be around. Once he realized that Eli had shown his loyalty to Alicia, and had seen how happy she was with him, he didn't have a word to say about their relationship. He became supportive especially when she began humming while cooking dinner.

It was another six months of things progressing quietly before Alicia felt uneasy about anything. It had nothing to do with Eli, but more to do with Jacqui. She had become increasingly demanding about seeing the children. Peter had been picked up as a consultant within the city so she had been seeing the kids as much as she had previously but Alicia felt very uncomfortable about the way she was starting to show up at the kids school and at random times during the evening, sometimes after the kids had gone to bed for the night. Alicia had brought it up with Peter but he never seemed to be able to tell his mother no.

It came to a head when Eli was over one evening. He was planning the stay the night and the kids had bid them both goodnight and were currently getting ready for bed. Jacqui showed up on the doorstep, knocking very loudly and yelling through the door. Alicia had gone to answer it when she barged in acting erratically.

"I need to see the children. You can't keep them from me! They are mine grandchildren! I deserve to see them anytime I want!" Jacqui ranted.

"Eli, call Peter. He needs to come over right now. Tell him Jacqui is here and very upset." Alicia ordered quietly as the older woman continued to rant. Eli nodded and moved to get his phone in the bedroom. This set Jacqui off again.

"How could you! You whore! Sleeping with another man, when my son waits at home for you! How could you do such a thing with your children in the house! You are a vicious slut!" Alicia knew she wasn't in her right mind and didn't know what she was saying but at the same time, those were uncalled for accusations.

"Jacqui, you need to calm down for a minute. You are scaring the kids. They don't understand why you are yelling at me, and this is not a conversation they need to hear right now." Alicia gestured to Grace and Zach standing in the doorway looking shell shocked. "We can talk about things but we need to so quietly and rationally, ok?"

Eli edged back into the room. Peter was already on his way. He had called his mother when he was on way home and was worried about some of the things she had been mumbling about. He would be there in a few minutes if not sooner. Alicia was trying to appeal to Jacqui's sense of propriety. He hoped it worked.

"Grace, Zach, you guys need to go to bed. You have school tomorrow. Your grandmother and I need to talk about some things so we will try to keep our voices down. Go to bed now." The kids nodded in acceptance. They knew that something wasn't right with their grandmother. Peter walked in a minute later to find Jacqui still looking slightly wild, and Alicia and Eli sitting calmly on the couch trying to wait things out.

"Mom, what's going on?" Peter asked.

"I just wanted to see the children. She's keeping them from me. Now she's sleeping around behind your back." She gestured to Eli.

"Mom, Alicia and I got a divorce. We haven't been together for nearly a year. She has moved on and so have I. We are both seeing other people. I explained that to you a while ago. As for the children, she isn't keeping them from you. I know it seems like you don't see them as much anymore, but they are growing up. They are old enough to go do things without being supervised. They have after school activities and sports, as well as friends that they want to hang out with. You can't control everything that they do. They have to be able to live and grow, just like I did. I know you don't like it, but that's how things are. It will be fine. I promise. Let's get you home now though. The kids need to be asleep soon so that they can be ready for school in the morning." Peter shuffled a confused looking Jacqui out of the door, closing it softly behind him. He didn't want to intrude on any more of their evening than his mother already had.

"I hope she's ok" Eli said quietly wrapping an arm around Alicia's shoulders.

"I'm worried. I'll check in with Peter in a few days, but that was almost like Alzheimer's or dementia. I hope it's nothing that serious."

"I hope not either. I don't like her just coming over here though. I'm going to worry about your safety and the kids as well." Eli paused for a moment, thinking it over. "I don't suppose I could convince you to move in with me? I was thinking we could find a place that would keep the kids in their same school but would be big enough for all of us to live. My place isn't big enough for all of us for more than a few weeks, and I don't feel good about you staying here…" Alicia silenced him with a kiss.

"That would be perfect Eli."

"Oh, well, good." He watched her for another moment. "I love you Alicia." She smiled up at him with one of her rare true smiles and proceeded to answer him with another, more in depth kiss.


End file.
